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Thursday, March 25, 2010

The Politics of the Presence of Politics

Since moving into Ohio University last September, my day-to-day life has been happier than my BEST days prior to college*. I get good grades, I engage in a variety of playful shenanigans on a weekendly basis, and I feel good about myself. The upside to this happiness is that I constantly find myself dancing from place to place and humming Keith Urban songs. However, there is a downside to life after downtrodden melancholy: I blog my best when I've got stuff on my chest**.

That's why, after another much-too-long break, this post is about to be a whiny one.

As many of my whiny blogs do, today's story begins with a conversation with Justin Timberlake. Now, don't freak out-- the two of us don't talk much anymore, because we've come to terms with the fact that we only cause each other frustration and fury, even now that our old feelings for each other are completely extinguished. But burnt effigies and bad emo poetry aside, we do have quite the history as friends, so we tend to check in with each other every now and then. This particular check-in, which occurred two days ago, went something like this:

JT: "I still have 'I Kissed A Squirrel' on my ipod."HGH: "Grosss. I like to pretend my old videos never happened."JT: "And yet they continue to exist."HGH: "Money and attention!"(If you know anything about me, you KNOW that was sarcasm. I continue to make videos and write blogs both for the creative outlet and because I adore the artistic community of youtube. You guys are incredible, and if I were in it for money or fame, I'd be in the wrong profession.)JT: "Yeah, I've noticed that your blog is pretty 'Hey, look at ME!' lately."(I was negatively struck by this statement instantly, but I tried not to allow him to hurt my feelings so easily, so I played nonchalant and sarcastic, as usual.)HGH: "Well, that's what a blog is...."JT: "Unless your blog is about AIDS in Africa."

Sigh. Now, what I should have said was, "You're right; I'm self-centered and frivolous. Why don't you go complain about it in a World of Warcraft forum?" But instead, I said something like, "That'd be a dramatic change!" and let him win. The conversation ended there, but I walked around for a bit afterward, secretly harping on those words. Do I keep up this blog because I'm obsessed with myself? Am I so insecure that I'm asking strangers to validate me? Am I the poster child for American greed and ignorance, pretending like my rich girl feelings matter in this world of suffering and pain?

And that got me thinking. While my obsession with children's literature and tales of recreational binge eating certainly aren't going to save any lives, there is nothing inherently pointless or evil about what I do.

Even though I appear to put my entire self out there to the internet (and trust me, I DO make a lot of my more noteworthy thoughts public knowledge), there are aspects of my personality that I keep more private. For example, I check news headlines every day, and I do a satisfactory job of keeping up with current events, but I don't often write or vlog or tweet about them. It's rare that I'll delve into politics or religion online (or at all, with people other than Jess and my dad, for that matter), but these are things I think about daily. I'm not... vapid. I respect, admire, and am interested in those vloggers like John Green and Dan Brown who choose to risk their popularity in order to make a point, but I use this social medium in a very different way. I'm not here to expose corruption or fight disease or talk about that vile school district who prevented an innocent girl from going to prom because of her sexuality. I'm just trying to relate to a group of my fellow nerds who share my same unconventional interests. Anecdotes about nail polish are not a fair representative of what's on my heart, but I believe there can be a time and a place for silly musings, and I don't see the harm in sharing them.

Anyway, the reason I'm even bothering to address this issue today (because it certainly is NOT to give more attention to the backhanded insults of my ex-boyfriend), is because-- even when you put effort into ridding your quirky public life of politics-- sometimes politics come looking for you. And although I don't frequently gripe about such subjects in this blog, today is one occasion when I just need to rant.

My dad is a local politician back home, and we discovered this morning that some nasty little git of a reporter from our city's newspaper had made another of many unjustified jabs at my father's work. While I continue to positively revere him, I'm now old enough to be objective, and to see my father as a person, rather than as a god figure in my life... and I'm telling you that, from an adult standpoint, this male Rita Skeeter is in the wrong for publishing his opinions as fact. I read the article at hand and was just teeming with anger.

Anger doesn't bode well here. I'm currently on a partial-family vacation, staying in Florida with my parents, grandmother and two sisters in the very small house we've owned since before I was born. My family is extremely close emotionally-- like, 7th Heaven close-- but it's rare that we're this close in physical proximity. Where my bed ends, my sister's bed begins. Where my careless messiness begins, my dad's patience ends. We're practically living on top of each other at the moment, and our already heightened awareness of the goings-on in each other's lives has somehow been multiplied by ten. So it's only natural that all our angst is intermingling. I picked up my phone to complain to The Situation about my dad's woes, when I saw a text from The Situation himself, stating that he was in a very similar, uh... situation.

The Situation... er, screw it. My boyfriend, Mike Lombardo, is a professional musician, and he's currently participating in a songwriting competition. After winning the first two rounds and being a very close runner-up in the third, he's now in a final battle with the second-highest scorer. The winner is determined by votes; anyone on the internet can easily listen to the two songs and choose which challenger they prefer. Both Mike and his opposition have been receiving steadily equal votes, which just makes it fun. The prize at the end is simply recognition and high-fives, and the challengers all have friendly relationships with each other, so it's not really something causing people to get worked up. In fact, since Mike happens to already have a wider following on youtube and twitter than the others, he asked the permission of the other challengers before he promoted the competition at all, to make sure they knew he wasn't using his established audience for an unfair advantage. In all Mike's videos and tweets about voting, he has specifically asked that people not blindly click his name, and that they listen to all the songs and choose which they like best. Yeah, winning is cool, because it reassures someone that their music is worthwhile and appreciated, but at the end of the day, the whole contest is more about exposure to new artists and fans. So when it stops being fun and starts being a race, that's where the problems come in.

He has a friend who writes a blog about nerdy happenings across the internet, and she wrote a long and detailed post the other day, surprisingly attempting to sway the votes away from Mike. In her defense, she did a fair job at not blatantly insulting anyone particularly. Her point was, basically, Don't vote for the more popular party just because he's more popular; vote for the less popular party because I think they're better. Justifiably, this blogger was attempting to root for her preferred song. However, it's borderline communistic to say that the artist with more fans deserves fewer votes. Mike's competitors are good. They are! BUT. It's impossible to know this for sure, but I have a very strong feeling that, even if I were not in love with Mike Lombardo, I would like his song better. It's funny, it's very friendly to the other challengers, and he sounds awesome. Mike has fans because he's loyal, sweet, and puts out a great product. Everyone involved is aware that Mike has a larger following, but he conducted himself so gracefully and with such positivity towards the others that it's simply wrong to accuse him of taking advantage. This competition should be FUN. People should enjoy BOTH songs and pick a favorite without worrying about politics or feelings or numbers.

Ugh. All week my body has been lazing about the riverside, going for runs on the beach, and eating strawberries, but my mind has been a jumble of all these little antagonists. I apologize for dumping them all on you, readers, and I will not be at all offended if you can't bring yourself to get through such a lofty post. If you have made it this far, however, (and you're interested!) go ahead and click this link to listen to all the songs from all four rounds. If you feel like it, vote for the final song YOU like, regardless of anyone's blogs or tweets or urges.

*This excludes, of course, the fun times with my friends outside of school. But I'm talking about Big Picture Happiness here.**Regardless of its cheesiness factor, I'll admit that that was an intentional rhyme. I think my songwriter boyfriend is wearing off on me in a bad way.

54 comments:

Anonymous
said...

"And that got me thinking. While my obsession with children's literature and tales of recreational binge eating certainly aren't going to save any lives, there is nothing inherently pointless or evil about what I do."

That's true. And just because you may be blogging about yourself and not starving children in Africa, you're noting doing something meaningless.

First, from what I gather, you enjoy blogging. You like writing and you like the creative aspect of this. That in and of itself is enough reason to "justify" your hobby.

But more than that, people are interested in hearing what you have to say. And it's more than, "Oh, look at this girl talk about Chipotle and nail polish." For me, it's "This is a good person. This is a happy person. This is someone who knows who she is and embraces herself. This is someone who has good relationships and positive influences in her life. This is someone who I want to be like."

You say that what you do on the Internet won't save any lives, but the truth is, you've made me want to start living. Watching you document your life and the ups and downs you've had so far have honestly inspired me to try to come out of my shell, come to terms with my anxiety issues, and really start trying to live for the present. I've put a metaphorical WWHGHD band around my wrist, and it (you) has really started to change my life for the better. <3

You've really given me a lot to think about here, hayley. Though you, and many of my personal internet celebrities, do share a lot of their life online, they don't by any means share *everything* about themselves all the time.

To assume that just because someone posted a video about pokemon they must be a nintendoholic and do nothing but play video games is insane, right? So making the same assumption about what someone write in a blog seems just as ridiculous to me.

In the end, it's your blog. You choose what you want to write about, and we get to read some awesome prose. End of story.

You've really given me a lot to think about here, hayley. Though you, and many of my personal internet celebrities, do share a lot of their life online, they don't by any means share *everything* about themselves all the time.

To assume that just because someone posted a video about pokemon they must be a nintendoholic and do nothing but play video games is insane, right? So making the same assumption about what someone write in a blog seems just as ridiculous to me.

In the end, it's your blog. You choose what you want to write about, and we get to read some awesome prose. End of story.

You're just one of those people I can't help but adore. Whether it's reading your blog or watching your Youtube videos I find myself in awe of you. You just seem to be a genuinely good and intelligent person. I love reading your thoughts and in a weird way taking part of your life from the other side of the globe. Seeing that you've written a new post can truly make my day... awesome.

a.) Scribe lively, so timely,that is timelessAnd is lovely, and is ugly, as it must be.

b.)My whole life is real, my whole life is illA fantastic, a beautiful messAnd life nigga in America: the usual stressI do it to the up, low, the east and the west, IDo it to most, I do it to deathI do so it good they don't know what to do with theyselvesWell do this: MOVE!Back, forward, mo'Life is real, let's move on

c.)My whole life is real, morning news and nights is realWhat I spit and I write is real, cuz my life is ILLFilled with magic's strife to scaleSun bright, no time to chillGot all type of billsI got seeds I gotta feed with thisI got streets I gotta reach with thisThat's how deep it get

I've been reading for a while now, and I don't think you've ever come across as "the poster child for American greed and ignorance". Your feelings do matter, and your eloquence means that other people can relate to what you're going through, and that they might think about issues in their own life differently. It's not curing AIDS, but how many people, especially teenagers, are making any effort to do something that world-changing? You've made me think more seriously about being a young adult writer, and other commenters have already said that you've made a difference to their lives in other ways. Politics are obviously important, but it's not all that's important, and people like JT who criticise clearly don't read the comments you get from readers who are inspired and entertained by you.Have a good weekend :)

Hey I really enjoyed "I kissed a squirrel", I hope you leave it up for years to come. Obviously JT pushes your buttons, quite possibly deliberately. Whether you let him get away with it has to be up to you. As is the content of this blog, but what you have been doing so far works fine for me. I'll check out those songs later and will honestly vote for which one of them appeals to me most, or neither if I feel so inclined. Enjoy Florida and your family, but don't disarm (disleg?) any more innocent crabs.

First of all, I'm going to comment on your *coughjerkycough* ex-boyfriend's comments. Your blog may be all about you (though I'm not saying it is) but everyone reading LIKES reading about you. To me, your blogs are like the soft parts of HP before the dramatic end scenes. Anything can be going on in the background but yet Harry, Ron, and Hermione can have a conversation complaining about small things or joking around and for a second you forget the whole Wizarding World is in danger. I'm not speaking for all of your readers but for me your blogs and general presence on the internet is calming for me. Not to get too into anything personal but currently my mom is dying of cancer and ending her treatment. She has days she's fine and days she can't say a sentence that makes any sense. It's extremely stressful and I greatly look forward to anything you put out online to get me away from my own reality, even for a minute. So your ex-boyfriend can shut up.

Anyways, back to politics, I'm sorry you and Mike are both going through hard times. Mike seems like a great guy and I hope that the contest is still fun for him because you're right in saying that it should be exactly that. Hopefully things with your dad get easier as well. Opinions are never facts and it's stupid of that writer to think of them as such.

I hope you have fun on your family vacation and I can't wait for your video later today =)

Your blog isn't "Look at me!" at all, Hayley. I mean, you started out knowing you'd be writing about your thoughts or just fun anecdotes; that hasn't changed at all. It's not like your blog was originally about AIDS in Africa and all of a sudden you're writing about your nail polish and Chipotle consumption. You're also definitely not blogging every day and seeking attention from readers. In fact, its your readers BEGGING you to update and let us hear more about your life. JT needs to wise up.

And just so Mike knows, I've been following the competition and have always voted as unbiasedly as I can. I just really do like what he comes up with best!

You guys are both amazing. Chin up, buttercup! :) Good luck with your family.

"I'm just trying to relate to a group of my fellow nerds who share my same unconventional interests."But isn't that, like, such a huge part of life? Trying to relate to people and understand why empathy is so important. Sure, you wrote about prom, but that post helped me so, so much when I was in the midst of my own prom season and suffering through apathy towards the event. So in a roundabout way, your "rich girl feelings" do matter in this world of suffering and pain because by sharing them, you comfort others, and you make us realize, for example, that a girl from Canada and a girl form Ohio who have never met (a girl form Canada who you don't even know) have all of these things in common, and so a girl in Africa and a girl in North America likely have things in common, and a person wherever in the world has things in common with another person wherever in the world and... I hope I'm making sense. We're all connected - that's basically what I'm trying to say - and your blog, I think, helps us realize that.

I just did a Google News search for the crap about your dad, & I guess I'm glad I couldn't find it. It would have pissed me off too much - even the comments I found from readers in a few other stories mentioning him infuriate me. I have such good memories of your family, especially your parents. You're a lucky girl. <3

Yo Hayley. It's cool that you talk about yourself. Clearly, we're all interested in you talking about yourself, and it's not something you'd ever need to apologize for. If this ex-boyfriend has a problem with your blog, he can *gasp* just stop reading it!

I've been in the close-quarters with family thing before. When we go visit my uncle in Pakistan, we literally sleep in the same room, beds all in a row. And we get on each other's nerves IMMEDIATELY. So I advise you to hold on tight to that sanity.

It's so cool that you're having a good time at college. Count yourself lucky, most people I talk to about it are generally disenchanted by the whole experience.

I've been so overwhelmed lately with all the horrible things happening around the world. Constance not being able to go to her prom, all the drama with health care and a million other bad things happening in the world. I like reading your blog and not being preached to about one thing or another. Not that recognizing world problems is a bad thing, I love hearing John talk about issues and reading news sites, but its nice to have a place free of that. Your blogs DO make a difference, they give teens like me a person to look up to.

Hayley, you are a bit like Jane Austen (at least for me): people regularly criticize her for not writing about the Napoleonic wars or the slave trade, etc, but the things she did write about - the intimate lives of upper middle class people of the time period - were just as important and relevant as the larger events of the time period. If you think about it, most of life is made up of intimate, even silly, moments with other people. Not starving orphans in Africa. That's not to say that we shouldn't think about those starving kids, but we have to keep things in perspective: the things closest to us are also the largest. With that said, I love your blogs because you're hilarious, absolutely dead-on, and as far as I can tell, because I don't know you personally, a good person. In three words: I like you. Keep blogging :D

Hey Hayley! I thoroughly enjoy all of your blog posts and I don't find you conceited at all. I think your musings on everyday life are funny and interesting and when you do branch out to religion and politics, I am more then willing to hear your opinion on things. I enjoy your creativity and JT probably just said those things because he is jealous of your popularity on-line.

I'm sorry your dad is getting bad press and it is probably worse because you're from a small town. That must really suck. But on the bright side, you and your family are all together for an entire week! That must be really nice.

I enjoy Mike's music and I give him a lot of respect for not using his popularity to get votes but to make it fair. Unfortunately, there is always going to be someone who ruins it.

I know there's a time for politics and a time for serious. I like the fact that your the "friend" that I hear talk about boyfriend problems, nail polish and funny things that happen to you, because it lets me know I'm not the only one. Don't let anyone get you frustrated by what they say and do, because at the moment that people seem to be doing that to me too. Breathe in, breathe out and just remember that there are people and more than the Justin Timberlake's that love you no matter what. (Even when we've never met)ps. i hope that doesn't sound creepy.

I don't think I can say anything that the other readers before me haven't said, but I still feel the need to comment anyway.First off, Hayley, your blog inspires me, too. It lets me know that I'm not alone and that there are people out in the world similar to me and going through things that are a lot like the things that I am going through.I went all through high school thinking I was alone in so many things...and then I found your blog and realized that that is far from the truth.Plus, I like hearing about other peoples' adventures; it makes me want to have my own, which is something I used to not want due to my shyness and introverted personality.As for the whole "politics" thing:Not everything has to be about "the big things" in life. Sometimes one needs to focus on the smaller things, like nail polish and burritos, or their mind would become a jumbled, irritated mess of complicated things that they can't control anyway.

So, to sum that all up, I love your blog and your videos, Hayley. And don't let anyone tell you that they are not important =]

That local reporter was just mirroring his superior counterparts. The majority of the media today publishes their opinions as facts, or, if the person or action they're reporting about doesn't agree with their opinions, they'll purposely try to make it look bad. It's sickening. I'm not saying I'm a Republican or a Democrat, but it seems like the media is leaning a little too far left, now. Aren't they supposed to be the watchdogs of the people? Aren't they supposed to keep our government in line? How are they going to do that if they don't write fairly and non-biasedly?

I'm sorry for your Dad. Tell him to keep his head up and prove this reporter wrong. Sooner or later, the truth has to get out. They can't keep this up forever.

You have every right to talk about whatever you want in your blog. And you are absolutely right, silliness and even frivolity have their time and place. We don't all need to be CONSTANTLY DEPRESSED by whatever is socially excepted as the current "most wrong thing in the world". If that were true, then there would be no joy on this earth, and that would help no one. When you write about silly or frivolous things (and also when you write more seriously), you bring us, your readers, joy. And from all accounts you seem to bring yourself joy as well. Joy and happiness are being spread whenever you put fingers to keyboard to blog. Is that not enough?

Part One) You, you are the reason people read your blog. You're funny and quirky and have a unique outlet in which to express it, not to mention the fact that you are one hell of an entertaining writer. People (I hope) are smart enough to realize that this is just one fraction of who you are. We are here to read about you and your life.

Part Two) The Situation pwns Justin Timberlake any day of the week.

Part Three) I totally sympathize with you about being a politician's daughter. My dad was very visible politically (still is) and unfortunately the Rita Skeeter's of the world feed off of the blood of lies and rumors.

Part Four) Yay for being in Florida! I'm headed to the Keys this weekend, hoping the rain this morning was just a fluke. And yay for Mike and yay for family time.

What you do is not meaningless or wasteful or all for attention. You honestly love to write about nail polish and chipotle and weekend adventures on a haunted campus. I'll put money on the fact that you have always written these things out even if it wasn't public before. It's about you not us. Just because people like it doesn't make you attention seeking. Authors don't stop writing when they get popular. Actors don't quit in their prime. They are doing what they love and being liked is just a perk. I enjoy reading your blog. It has never seemed selfserving, only honest. That is why I love it. Keep writing.Mallory

PS You manage to find the weirdest named nail polishes. They always fascinate me.

God! Don't you just hate back handed comments from ex-boyfriends. Makes me want to bristle.

For one, if your whole blog was about AIDs and Africa (for example) I probably wouldn't read it as much. Depressing.

Two, you have a GREAT impact on the emotional lives of young women all over the world by writing about how you feel and how you get through the problems of love, life, work and play. I read your comments as well as reading your blog, and you bring hope to those with despair, you make us laugh, and you make us cry, and you make the young women that follow you feel okay about their lives.

That is far more important, in my opinion, then another blog highlighting the negative crap going on in the world.

Part 2:That blogger that wrote that about Mike Lombardo... grrrr... I hate that! I hate that people won't vote for the person that may be more well known or "popular" because of that fact alone. Mike is good! I follow him on youtube as well and have voted for the music in Song Fu as well! What a bitch. Both of them, her and Justin Timberlake... bitchy little people!

Hayley, you're wonderful! I think I tell you that every comment I post, but you are :)

I always hate when my comment is so far down the list that what I say sounds repetitive. So... I agree with almost everyone who commented.

Who cares if what you're writing about on this blog is "helping people" or about "something super important like kids in Africa"... some of us just like reading what you put up here because you write beautifully. You manage to take your frustrations of the moment and put it in an analogy that we can all relate to. Plus, knowing that our comments about going through the same or similar situations help you feel a little better make us feel good too.

Hayley, you're fantastic, truly. You are a fantastic word smith and a thoughtful person. We don't follow your blog because you're this narcisistic terrible human. It's because, despite the slight self centeredness, (this isn't a bad thing, on annny level though because you're a teenager AND a vlogger, it comes with the territory. Please don't take that the wrong way.)you are a relatable, caring person and we adore you for that. Oh, and your wit? Top freaking notch. Keep it up! I hope you're having a fun Spring break :D

Oh, side note, I discovered honey and tea this week. IT IS AMAZING. I've been drinking it like it's been going out of style. Fantastic. Love, Sarah.

Hayley, simply put, you inspire people. You inspire me. You have the ability to connect with people you've never met and affect their lives. You never FTBA; don't listen to the Justin Timberlake's of the world, because you're just plain awesome.

I really want to write something along the lines of, "I know what you're going through," But to be perfectly honest, I don't. Reading your awfully witty and profoundly meaningful blog, I feel like I'm just waiting for my life experiences, and be them good or bad, I think it will in the end make me a better person. Maybe this is how you have to look at it--Although it's kind of a bitch now, in the near future, I'll be something to look back over and be proud about the fact that you were bigger and better than others. I don't know; that sounds weird. What ever. You know who you are, and you're smart, brave and collected. I have no doubt that what ever life throws at you, you will be able to tackle it head on.

Hayley, you are absolutely lovely. People enjoy your whining. That's why you have tons of readers. Personally speaking, if you blogged about news and politics and AIDS ALL of the time, I wouldn't love your blog as much as I do. But when you do write about something you are absolutely passionate about, such as your blog about gay rights, you do a beautiful job. You're a great writer, Hayley. I love reading about you because I can relate to you. I would like to think that you are the grown up version of me. I could only hope so. Thank you for writing this. <3

Hey lovely girl. I don't know what it is about ranting and politics this week. I don't have a large blog following, and I usually blog about trivial things; I usually don't like rocking the boat, you know? But I was struck with the urge to write a very political post this week, and it got a lot of responses - some good, some bad. I don't know what that means for my blogging future, whether I'll post about deeper things more often, but it certainly made me think that this was Rant In Your Blog Week.

Not everybody has to save the world via the internet. But everybody's doing what they're good at and you're blogging is enjoying for many people. You can't assume that you're life isn't interesting 'cause you're considerably wrong! I like reading about your life (because I'm a creeper!). No, I'm not a creeper. I just like reading your blog.

Hayley, you are amazing. Never let anyone tell you otherwise... especially Justin Timberlake. Sexy is definitely NOT back in the fact that he exists.

Now on to the embarrassing part. I have a proposition for you. I'm looking to go to OU in two years (I'm a junior from Dayton), and my family will be visiting the campus over spring break. Problem is, I have no one to show me around or tell me anything about Athens... except you. I know that sounds REALLY weird and kind of upfront, but as another prospective Creative Writing/Music/Library Science student, I'd really like someone's feedback about the classes and the people and the campus. I'll be there on Wednesday the seventh from 10:30-12:30, if you're interested... which you're probably not.

The only thing I have to offer is my freakish knowledge of Harry Potter. Sorry about this creep-a-thon.

It was very helpful for me to read this post, because these are things I think about daily - am I doing something GOOD?, am I actually contributing to the world in some way? And every day I end up convinced that I am, because I was nice to a stranger or because I had fun with someone or because I wrote something good... Not everyone can save people's lives directly, and, although this doesn't include me, NOT EVERYONE WANTS TO - and that's OK, and it doesn't make them bad people. Why be so extreme? I think you do a world of good just by sitting in front of your computer and typing, at least to me, because you get my head working and that's one hell of a win. For everyone. Don't let people tell you it's not important, because it is!And by the way that nailpolish color is gorgeous and made me want to paint my nails red, which is what I'm off to now.

Hayley, my choir director told us something really inspirational a few days ago. She told us that in our lives, in order to make them meaningful, we have to put a bit of time aside each day and use it to express ourselves. This is different for all people...for my choir, it is through music, but for others it is through painting, fashion, writing. Your blog is a personal expression of yourself. Even if one day you stop blogging, don't ever stop letting your creativity flow. :) :)

The world is so full of heavy, dense, mind-boggling things. Your blog is a much needed breath of fresh air. I know that you write your blog first and foremost for yourself, and if you ever don't enjoy it, you will stop. But just know that your blog brings me a lot of people great joy. Sometimes, I'll be laughing after a post of yours. Other times, I'll leave your blog feeling contemplative. And yet other times, I can totally relate to what you are saying, almost as though you took what I was thinking and put it in to words. I would just like to say, thank you

Hayley, I've been here from the beginning of your blog and I can honestly say people who think your blog is becoming "Oh look at me, I'm happy, everything's perfect" are absolutely ridiculous. We genuinely do care about you! (As much as complete strangers can care for each other.) So your happiness makes us happy. Don't be afraid to blog simply because The Situation has been too amazing and you have nothing to complain about. We like seeing you happier than ever because it shows for those of us going through a happiness slump that they don't last forever.

In other news, I had the last performance of my last high school show ever yesterday. I'm sure you know how this probably feels and how sad we all are. There have been MANY tears this weekend, both from the end of an era for us seniors and from all-night games of Truth, showing our heart and souls to each other. It's been a crazy, emotional roller coaster.

(I'm just letting you know all this so I don't feel completely creepy for knowing so much about your life without offering information in return.)

Ah, don't let anything Justin Timberlake says upset you. It's good to think about what you're doing, but as you said, there is nothing inherently pointless or evil about it.

And I would miss your life if I stopped having it to read about. Talk about sad. You just get your stories out to the world. I'm the one sitting at home spending time reading about random happenstances in people I dont know's lives. Oh my.

You are, of course, wonderful. I've been reading your blog for ages and watching your videos for ages and generally admiring you for ages, and it is high time I tell you how highly I think of you. I do not find your blog posts vapid or immature in the slightest. And I may be totally out of line in saying this, but is most writing not self-centered in nature? I did this thing on East of Eden a few weeks ago* (which I love love love, beeteedubbs. I mean, if you're looking for any great JStein, this is where it's at), and most of the criticism was of his being self-centered in the writing, using personal anecdotes and family names and such and how awful that supposedly is. But I don't see a problem with that whaaatsoever. An author's main job title is to pour his or her innermost thoughts onto paper (or blogspot)--satisfying his or her passion for words, spending time with his or her creations. But guess what? That doesn't matter. While inherently a little self-centered, I believe writing is simultaneously completely selfless. You have no idea how much your writing means to others--I'm not sure any author can properly grasp such a feeling. But, as you are aware, books do so much for other people. They give us comfort, they give us companionship--they make us feel. Your blogging is absolutely no different, and I cannot wait to read a book with a big ol' BY HAYLEY HOOVER on the front someday.

Awkward anecdote time? I recently dreamt I was dating Mike Lombardo. Now, this was after watching a video of yours or reading a blog post or something, so I'm sure that is why. And I was overtired, and I have really weird dreams when I'm overtired. But the moral of the story is that he was a really good dream-boyfriend, so props to you for snagging such a catch. I bet it's even better in real-life. Hopefully this is more amusing than ready-to-lock-your-doorsing. ALSO: This is only adding to my current creep factor... but I think I have the same kitchen floor tile as your boyfriend? It was in a video, maybe the macaroni and yogurt and cheese one, and I'm pretty sure we're floor tile twinsies. Nbd.

In conclusion, thanks for everything you do--for your writing and your videos and your being you (which is, as I am aware, tacky with a capital T, but true with a capital T, too).

I hate the kind of situation your dad has - my mom was a county councillor shortly after having my brother. However, when the next elections came round, the campaigners of the other party spread rumours my mom wouldnt be able to cope because she had a baby. They failed to mention she'd already done a wonderful job whilst having 1 11 year old daughter (me) 1 8 year old daughter, and my brother who was at this point 2. Even now that my brother is 11, the unfairness of their methods of spreading lies about my mother still makes me angry, but then again, it makes me angry that the people they told this to didnt even bother researching the facts.